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International Tennis Quarterly
News from the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum ~ First Quarter, 2012 | | |
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Dear Friends,
In the last quarter of 2011 I was elected President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. Accepting this big responsibility is another way for me to give back to a sport that has been such a huge part of my life. I am honored by the opportunity, and I feel privileged to follow in the steps of my good friend, tennis legend and fellow Hall of Famer, Tony Trabert.
I have always believed that among the Hall of Fame's major assets is its worldwide appeal. This is the result of the organization being an important, integral part of one of the world's most international sports, but it is also a reflection of the importance our staff, directors, and key supporters place on this aspect of our mission.
International tennis stars like Rod Laver and Gabriela Sabatini, Virginia Wade and Bjorn Borg, Alex Olmedo and Rene Lacoste are among the 220 Hall of Famers from 19 nations who have been inducted to date. Every year our Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event, welcomes international fans who travel to Newport to be part of the only tournament played on grass courts in the Americas, one that is televised to millions throughout the world. In 2011 alone, the Museum at the Hall of Fame welcomed thousands of foreign visitors, while visitors to our website hailed from 125 countries.
These tangible expressions of international interest and involvement is why we have prepared this newsletter, which is aimed at providing information to our many followers and members overseas. Although it is in English, some of the videos and documents included in the links are in a variety of other languages. This is something we will expand in the future.
I hope you will enjoy this first issue. Your feedback is certainly welcome; just reply to this e-mail or simply enjoy it and share it with other tennis players, colleagues and friends. They may receive future editions, if they so wish, by registering as indicated below.
Let's be in touch. Meanwhile, all the best for a Happy 2012.
Sincerely,
Stan Smith
President
1987 Hall of Famer |
Catching up with Hall of Famer Gabriela Sabatini
Nationality: Argentina
Hall of Fame: Class of 2006
Highest World Ranking: No. 3
Grand Slam Wins: 1 US (singles), 1 Wimbledon (doubles)
Olympics: Silver Medal
Career Titles: 27 singles, 14 doubles
Gabriela Sabatini first picked up a tennis racquet at age 6, and from that point on, she didn't slow down her game for two decades. She won her first tournament at age 8, and went on to win six major international junior titles, including the French Open girls' singles. At age 15 years and 3 weeks old, Sabatini became the youngest-ever player to reach the semifinals at the French Open, where she lost to Chris Evert. She continued to make her presence known at the Grand Slams, advancing to many semifinals, and in 1990, she captured the US Open title, defeating world No. 1 Stefanie Graf. Ranked in the world top-10 for ten consecutive years (1986-1995), Sabatini also held the No. 1 ranking in South America and Argentina for that entire span. She was a member of the Argentine Olympic team in 1988 and 1996, and won the silver medal in 1988. An attacker with powerful groundstrokes and incredible topspin, Sabatini completed her career in 1996 with an extraordinary singles win-loss record of 632-189. Fun Fact: In 1992, a red-orange fiery rose was named the "Gabriela Sabatini Rose" in her honor, putting Sabatini in the elite company of Queen Elizabeth, John F. Kennedy, Barbara Bush, Elizabeth Taylor, Dolly Parton and Louis Armstrong, among other individuals who have had roses named for them. What do you spend most of your time focused on now? These days I am focus on my new endeavors and I´m also dedicating my time in traveling and to spending time with my family and friends. I enjoying sports such as cycling and swimming.
Is there one great victory in your tennis career that was particularly meaningful to you?
To win the US Open in 1990 was the most meaningful victory.
Gabriela Sabatini will be honored by the Hall of Fame at the upcoming Copa Claro tennis tournament in Buenos Aires, where she will be presented her Hall of Fame ring on February 25. If you'll be at the tournament, please join in the celebration! |
International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2012
 Inductee Announcement Coming Soon! Save the Date!
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: July 14, 2012 |
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Exclusive Rings for Extraordinary Legends
They have collected gold metals, silver plates, crystal goblets, and the most coveted trophies in tennis. In the past year, we have launched a multi-year program to present Hall of Famers with one-of-a-kind commemorative rings to mark their achievement of Hall of fame induction. Presently, there are 85 Hall of Famers residing in 16 different countries, a testament to the global reach of the game. Ring presentations have occurred in Europe and the United States. Click here to read more about the rings and see photos of the presentations.
Pictured above with ITHF Chairman Christopher Clouser, are Australian tennis legends Roy Emerson and Owen Davidson and American, Nancy Richey, who received their official International Tennis Hall of Fame rings at a special ceremony in Houston, TX.
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One in Ten Thousand
A personal story from a visitor to the Hall of Fame
 "Being a tennis fan since childhood, it was a one-of-a-kind experience to participate in the events organized by the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport last summer. Visiting its museum and premises allowed me to pass on my passion for tennis to my young kids."
- Julio P. Fiol,
Consul General of Chile in New York,
Chairman of the Coalition for Latin American Consuls in New York (CLACNY),
Hall of Fame Member since 2010
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Spain's Emilio Sánchez Honored
At the end of 2011, the Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation selected Emilio Sánchez of Spain as the recipient of the 2011 Davis Cup Award of Excellence. ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti and 1984 Hall of Famer Manolo Santana presented the award to Sánchez in Seville, Spain during the 2011 Davis Cup by BNP Paibas World Group final match between Spain and Argentina, reminiscent of the 2008 final when Sánchez captained the Spanish team to victory. Click here for full story. |
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A Peak in the Archives
Australian Open Commemorative Coin
In 2005, the Australian Open celebrated its centennial with these commemorative coins, worth the equivalent to five Australian dollars. However, in actuality, because the tournament was not played during the two World Wars, played twice in 1977 and not played in 1986 when it moved from December to January, the 100th Men's Champion will be crowned this year when another commemorative coin will be issued.
The Hall of Fame's Museum collection contains more than 16,000 unique treasures of tennis history from around the world. |
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Love Tennis?
Chances are your friends do too! Help generate awareness for the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum and our mission to preserve the rich history of the game by forwarding this email to a friend and encouraging them to subscribe through the "Join Our Mailing List" link below.
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Honoring Russia's Great
Tennis Contributors
The Hall of Fame and the
International Tennis Federation recently presented Anastasia Myskina of Russia with the 2011 Fed Cup Award of Excellence. Myskina was one of Russia's first highly successful female players, and in 2004, she won the Roland Garros singles title, becoming the first Russian female tennis player to win a Grand Slam event. Read more...
 Russian Tennis Federation President Shamil Tarpischev
Participating in the presentation was ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti and Valentina Matvienko, head of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, and the highest ranking elected official in Russia. |
Ten Thousand
International Visitors
Tens of thousands visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame every year to tour the Museum, play tennis on the historic grass courts, and be part of the excitement of our ATP World Tour event and Hall of Fame Induction. We're so pleased that many of our visitors come from overseas. In fact, our Museum has welcomed some 10,000 international visitors over the past five years. They came from 58 countries on every continent of the world! The Hall of Fame video showcases what they experienced - and why you should come visit! Click one of these languages to view the video in English, Spanish, or Mandarin/Chinese.
Also, click here for Hall of Fame fact sheets available in multiple languages. The Museum is housed in the Newport Casino, an outstanding example of American architecture dating to the 1800s and the site of the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships in 1881 - the event that evolved to today's US Open. The 18 diverse galleries chronicle the history of tennis from its origins through present day and highlight the stories of the Hall of Famers through an extensive collection of trophies, other special mementos of historil moments in tennis, art, fashion, dynamic photos, videos and more. |
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Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
July 9-15, 2012
Each July , top ranked international tennis players travel to Newport direct from Wimbledon to compete in the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships - the only event played on grass courts in the Americas. The intimate, historic stadium offers an unmatched opportunity to be up close to the action, and tournament week is a great time to visit the Hall of Fame. Dynamic pro tennis is topped off by great special events for fans and the community, including the popular Angela Moore Fashion Show, kids tennis clinics, museum tours and much more. A unique highlight of the week's festivities is the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a grand event in which the highest honor in tennis is presented to the game's greatest champions and true legends. For additional information and tickets, click here.
- 2012 Player Field -
The 2012 tournament is shaping up to be an exciting one with No. 3 American John Isner returning to defend his title and current world No. 25 Milos Raonic of Canada committed to play. Raonic is one of the hottest up and coming players on the ATP World Tour - he was named 2011 Newcomer of the Year and won the season title at the season opener, the Aircel Chennai Open earlier this month. Read more... |
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Visiting Newport
Rhode Island welcomes visitors to enjoy more than 400 miles of coastline and hundreds of intrusting historic landmarks. The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is located in Newport, Rhode Island, a charming resort town just 3 hours north of New York and 1.5 hours south of Boston. Often called the City-by-the-Sea, the vibrant community packs a great deal of culture, history and entertainment into a conveniently compact and walkable area. Grand mansions that served as summer homes for wealthy Americans in the late 1800s are now open as museums, recreational activities including sailing, tennis, polo, and golf abound, and the city center is lined with quaint shops and restaurants.
A great day trip from the US Open! 
If you are heading to the Northeast for the US Open, consider a side trip to Newport -- it's worth the detour!
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